American Dipper
Cinclus mexicanus · Dippers
Banding codeAMDI
Keys to identifying it
1Size & shape
About 7.5 in long.
2Color pattern
- Chunky and slate-gray
- Short tail; constantly bobs up and down
- White eyelids flash when it blinks
3Habitat & season
Rushing mountain streams
In northern Utah: year-round.
Seen most often in March, June and October.
Share of the region’s research-grade iNaturalist bird observations each month, scaled to this bird’s peak. Highlighted bars are its peak months.
4Voice
A loud, bubbly song that carries over rushing water; sharp 'dzeet' calls.
“a ringing, wren-like jumble above the rapids”
iNat 244726063 by Spencer Hurt · Jackson County, CO, USA · CC BY
Know it
- North America's only truly aquatic songbird — it walks underwater along stream bottoms.
- Bobs its whole body up and down, giving it its name.
- Stays on open canyon streams all winter, even in deep snow.
Often confused with
European Starling
Brewer's Blackbird- Brown Dipper
From iNaturalist identification data for northern Utah.
From Wikipedia
The American dipper, also known as a water ouzel, is a semiaquatic bird species native from North America.
Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0